Chapter X Raduna
X Raduna
“Archers!” Raduna bellows, so loud, my ears ring.
His arm tightens around me and we’re suddenly airborne, flying off the horse. My teeth snap together from impact when he lands, rolling until he’s on top of me, my body completely covered. I’m on my belly, fingers tangling in the cool, soft grass of the forest path.
“Archers in the trees! Dismount! Dismount!”
My breath comes fast and sharp, my heart pounding.
All around us, heavy boots hit the ground.
A few horses neigh with unease. Raduna breathes hard, and I realize I am not crushed under his weight, so he must keep some of it off me.
I have enough space to turn my head and look left, in the direction the arrow came from.
All I see are horse hooves and Agnidari boots, and then thick undergrowth.
“I’ve got her,” Khay says. “Go!”
No sooner than Raduna rolls off me, I am covered again, Khay’s body caging me in. Soldiers repeat orders in low voices, drawing their weapons with metallic clangs. There’s another hiss, another dull thunk. Then another. More arrows.
And then, there’s a scream, decidedly human.
Khay chuckles under his breath, excited and reckless. “Got one. My money’s on Magnar.”
“I bet it’s Raduna,” Arvi’s voice comes from nearby, low over the ground, like he’s crouching.
“You’re on,” Khay replies, shuffling until his hips press more firmly to my bum. “Let’s bet something else. Winner gets the first round after Magnar.”
Arvi laughs right after another hiss cuts the air and someone grunts. “You’re dreaming. That will never happen.”
“It might,” Khay says, his hips rolling into me. “I’m working on it. So, bet on?”
“All right. It’s on.”
I realize Khay’s poking me, just like Magnar did. Is he… aroused? Gods. The Agnidari are a crazy bunch if riding and being shot at make them react like this. I say nothing and grit my teeth just as another scream comes from the forest.
Minutes pass, though at the rate my heart is going, they might as well be years. I’ve never been this terrified in my life before, and at the same time, so entirely safe in a moment of terror.
When I was a child, I believed in the protective powers of the high castle’s gate. That delusion burst, but I don’t mind, because now I’m protected by a bunch of deadly Agnidari, who go as far as covering me with their bodies to shield me from arrows.
I never considered it before, but their lethal strength and battle prowess are actually good things when they are on my side.
“Clear!” comes a shout from the forest, then another voice confirms the same from a different direction, then another. Khay sighs and gets up, taking his sweet time about it.
Arvi snickers. “Nice tent.”
I don’t even try to comprehend what that means, too busy rolling to my side so I can get up.
My dress is dirty, though the grass stains aren’t too visible against this shade of green.
Before I manage to get to my knees, a pair of male hands settles under my armpits and lifts me up.
When I turn, I see it’s Arvi, his pierced lip curled in a smirk.
“You all right?” he asks.
I don’t answer, distracted by his mouth.
Not only does he have a silver hoop piercing the side of his lower lip, he also has a strange, pointy tongue that he curls around that hoop while watching me back.
It seems obscene, his tongue long and entirely too agile, playing with his silver piercing in a mesmerizing, monstrous way.
Human tongues are red and rounded, but his is dark, almost purple, and the tip is a sharp triangle. I realize I’m staring, so I shake myself off and lower my gaze, heat creeping up my nape.
“I’m fine. Thank you.”
He snorts with amusement and steps back. “Magnar! Who got the first one? We have a bet going.”
I turn just as Magnar comes out of the undergrowth, swinging his sword that’s covered in blood. He looks pleased, his eyes crinkling even though his mouth remains flat.
“Who bet on me?”
“I did!” Khay exclaims, stepping out from the trees on the other side of the path. “Sorry, had to take a leak. Did I win?”
“I got the first one,” Magnar says, nodding. “Raduna got the other two. What did you win?”
Khay says something in the Agnidari language, at which both Magnar and Arvi snort, but I don’t pay attention because my eyes are glued to Raduna. He emerges from the gloom carrying two human heads by the hair.
They still drip blood from the severed necks, and their expressions are those of debilitating pain and terror. I stare, a sort of gurgling sound coming from my throat that might be hysterical laughter or terrified wheezing, I’m not sure. My feet are rooted to the ground.
One head is male, swarthy, with rotten teeth just visible inside the open mouth. The other belonged to a woman, her hair dark and knotted in Raduna’s fist, her face lined with scars. She wears—wore—a patch on one eye.
Raduna stops in front of me, his eyes serious, face splattered with blood.
I watch with mounting horror as he gets down to one knee and lays both heads at my feet.
When he looks up, his head is almost level with mine.
A drop of blood makes its way down his cheek, and I stare at it with sick fascination, wondering if he’ll let it reach the corner of his mouth, where it’s headed.
“I slayed them for you, my queen,” he says seriously, his face still soft under the gore, eyes kind.
They are brown, a comforting color that’s similar to so many human eyes I’ve seen, even despite his vertical pupils. I blink heavily, registering the silence around me and his patient, serious gaze.
They wait for me to react. I want to run away and climb the highest tree in this forest to never have to look at those heads again.
Instead, I take a deep, grounding breath, my eyes firmly on his face until I force myself to forget the heads. With a shaking hand, I wipe away that one red drop, stopping it just above his lip.
“Um… I…” I clear my throat, a cloying heaviness choking me. The scent of blood is nauseating. “I mean… Thank you. For protecting me.”
I press my lips together, unsure what else to say, but Raduna gives me a radiant smile and a nod, and I realize it was enough. Magnar hums, watching me with a thoughtful expression. Raduna gets up, his braids swinging around his face, and Magnar comes over to clap him on the shoulder.
“Tell Khay you’re going before him if it ever happens, bet or no bet. Just don’t get your hopes up. Good job.”
Raduna nods with a pleased smile and bends to pick up the severed heads. I manage to turn my face away just in time not to see them. Magnar steps into my line of sight, his head cocked, brows furrowed.
“I thought you’d throw up,” he says. “You turned green for a moment.”
Like always with him, I let the truth slip out without censoring myself. “I almost did, but, well, it would have been rude.”
Magnar barks out a surprised laugh. “Rude? No way. Is there some sort of royal etiquette rule for how to behave in a situation like this? What does it say? ‘Don’t vomit on your knight’s offering of two severed heads’?”
I huff with annoyance, though I can’t quite stop my lips from quirking up. “It’s common sense,” I explain with a shrug. “Loyalty should always be rewarded.”
Magnar’s face grows serious, eyes impenetrable as he studies me with a slight frown. Then he smiles.
“I never thought I’d say this, but Khay could be on to something. Who knows, we might make a proper Agnidari queen of you yet. You did well, darling. I’m very pleased.”
He gives me a nod and turns away, and I stare after him with confusion, a soft, pleasant warmth filling my insides.
It probably shouldn’t feel this good—pleasing my husband, who conquered my kingdom, forced me to marry him, and killed my father.
And yet, my chest fills with giddy joy. Something flutters in my lower belly, fizzy and intoxicating like wine.
“Look at you smiling so nicely,” Khay’s voice murmurs right over my ear. “Did you like hearing how well you did? How you pleased your king?”
I flinch with a gasp, realizing he’s right. I am smiling, but I shouldn’t be. I force my face into a scowl and turn to him.
“What was your bet about?”
Khay bares his predatory teeth in a wide grin, and I clench my fists to control my reaction, though the sight isn’t as frightening as it used to be.
“Something important,” he says with a chuckle. “We treat our bets very seriously. How’s riding with Raduna? He’s a good guy, isn’t he?”
I swallow audibly, the memory of the enormous warrior emerging from the undergrowth with two bloody heads flashing before my eyes. Yes, Raduna is good and kind—until he isn’t.
“I enjoyed hearing about his greenhouse,” I say, decorum dictating to say something nice about my knight, even though all I want is to ask Khay what other atrocities Raduna is capable of.
Khay’s eyebrow arches knowingly. “Did you enjoy his gift?” he asks with a snicker.
I give up trying to be decorous. The Agnidari are impossible to hold a polite conversation with. “Enjoy is not the word I’d use. It was horrifying. But—I appreciate not being shot with an arrow. Thank you, too. You protected me.”
Khay straightens, looking surprised, and eyes me for a moment before giving me another scary smile.
“Any time, my lady. Getting on top of you is my pleasure and privilege, and not just when we’re attacked.”
I frown, confused, and he laughs softly, running his thumb over my jaw before he leaves.
Raduna comes back, his face clean of blood, eyes sparkling with a smile. He seems quite invigorated after a spot of beheading. “Ready to ride, my queen?”
I nod, returning his smile. It comes easy when I remember that he protected me, killing people who shot at us. My father’s teachings come in handy, helping me accept it.
“Sometimes, there is no noble solution, my prize. It’s either us or them, and if we want to survive, they must perish. This is what war is about, and it’s ugly, but also necessary.”